Chair of Georgian Supreme Court’ Criminal Chamber plans to appeal to ECHR over Lithuania’s sanctions

Shalva Tadumadze, the Chair of the Criminal Chamber of the Georgian Supreme Court, on Wednesday said he was planning to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights following the Lithuanian Government’s decision to sanction 20 Georgian officials, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.

In his letter to the Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, Tadumadze called for inviting the Lithuanian Ambassador to the country to receive an explanation on what basis the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry had made an “unreasonable” decision in his regard.

“I request to invite the Lithuanian Ambassador and ensure my attendance at the said meeting to obtain an official explanation on what basis the Lithuanian Foreign Minister made an unreasonable decision and included me in the list of those sanctioned as a Georgian politician”, Tadumadze said in a letter.

“I would also like to receive an official explanation on the basis of what evidence and information the Lithuanian state considered me to be a gross violator of fundamental human rights in Georgia, while during my judicial career I have considered about five thousand criminal cases and only two cases have been appealed to the European Court of Human Rights. In both cases [Giorgi Ugulava versus Georgia and David Kezerashvili versus Georgia], the European Court of Human Rights has clearly explained that the decisions I have taken are legally justified and politically impartial”, he continued.

Tadumadze further noted that “the necessity of my request to you and the meeting with the [Lithuanian] Ambassador is conditioned by the fact that in the future I plan to apply to the European Court of Human Rights to legally restore my fundamental rights and freedoms violated by the Lithuanian state”.